Records, Bengaluru (Bangalore) – Page 6

KARNATAKA: Bengaluru gets new ‘Centre for Smart Protein and Sustainable Material Innovation’ in collaboration with IKP Knowledge Park and Good Food Institute (GFI)

According to industry experts, the highest profit in this sector can be derived from exporting alternative meat (Rs 8,652 crores) followed by dairy (Rs 1,889 crores) and eggs at Rs 632 crores.

With the right roadmap and investment from individuals and companies, the smart protein or alternative protein industry in the country is poised to grow 10x by 2040 and a total evaluation of four billion US dollars by 2030.

According to industry experts, the highest profit in this sector can be derived from exporting alternative meat (Rs 8,652 crores) followed by dairy (Rs 1,889 crores) and eggs at Rs 632 crores. However, currently with regulatory restrictions, a volatile market, a lack of research and development facilities and limited investment from venture capitalists, the 100+ smart protein startup ecosystem in the country needs a bigger push to scale its full potential.

The IKP Knowledge Park, science park and incubator, along with Good Food Institute (GFI) has launched the Centre for Smart Protein and Sustainable Material Innovation in the city. The centre will be dedicated to helping entrepreneurs create sustainable alternatives for food and materials by offering them early research and development support, mentorship, legal and regulatory assistance, and more.

Deepanwoita Chattopadhyay, Chairman and CEO, IKP said, “India has several challenges ahead of itself while it aims to become an economic power. As aspirations grow the need for protein intake is also important. Food and nutrition are paramount for a healthy country. Unfortunately, 80% of children in the country are nutrition deficient. It’s time for a protein revolution.”

The CEO added that the standard cultivation and production of protein is limited and climate-inefficient. “The ratio of what goes into production and the final protein product is barely touching 1:10 or 1:8. With incubation centres such as these more startups can collaborate and make India a bigger player.”

Leveraging the country’s large crop biodiversity and building sustainable value addition in pulses, millets and other crops can make India a big contributor to smart protein products. “We are home to one of the most talented competitive pools and skills such as entrepreneurship, engineering and scientific skills need to be recognised,” said Aiyanna Belliappa, Senior Innovation Specialist, GFI India.

The group echoed the sentiment that India is already home to the best biotechnology innovation, capitalizing on it is the way ahead.

With three modalities in the alternative protein – plant-based, fermentation and cultivated (grown from animal cells in labs) Sneha Singh, Acting Managing Director, GFI said, “Though India has some regulatory pathway for plant-based protein, the fermentation and cultivation need more support from the government, its progress is slow.”

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited0

INTERNATIONAL: KARNATAKA: BRANDING OVERSEAS: Going global: Nandini logo in Kannada on Scotland, Ireland T20 jerseys

Players from Ireland and Scotland will be seen wearing jerseys with the logo of KMF’s Nandini in Kannada and English on their lead arm.

For the first time, an Indian language will be displayed on the jerseys of international cricketers during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup tournament, starting June 1 in the U.S.

Players from Ireland and Scotland will be seen wearing jerseys with the logo of KMF’s Nandini in Kannada and English on their lead arm. The players of both teams displayed the logo virtually during a meeting with heads of KMF on Wednesday.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Bheema Naik, chairman of KMF, told TNIE that through this, the aim is to enter the international market and tell people that KMF is not a local brand. It is the second largest milk union in India after Amul. “Nandini products are internationally available and through this, we want to penetrate the larger international market. Besides, we want to promote the sport. We sponsored Bengaluru Bulls during the Kabaddi league. We are also looking at the Olympics and IPL,” he said.

MK Jagadish, managing director of KMF, said, “Ahead of the world cup, we are launching our products, Splash and Bounce, for the domestic and international markets. The former is a whey-based protein enriched drink and the latter a whey-based carbonated drink. Both will be available in 200 ml tetra packs, priced at Rs 10 and Rs 15, respectively. Splash will be available in lemon, litchi, mango and strawberry flavours. Bounce will be available in orange, jeera-mint and ginger-lemon flavours.”

Jagadish said Nandini will open parlours in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah next month. Supply of sweets to Oman, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia will start.

Naik said the demand for Nandini ghee, milk and sweets is on the rise from Indians living in the U.S. A 15-tonne container with frozen Nandini sweets, especially Mysore Pak and peda, is being sent once in three months. Soon, a cafe will be opened in the U.S.

Explaining the reasons for KMF sponsoring Ireland and Scotland teams, officials said, “It is done through tendering and bidding processes. Given the economics, these two teams fit the criteria. We wanted to sponsor teams such as South Africa, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and even India, but they were already taken and the costs were too high.”

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: HEALTH CARE: Unsung Heroes: Mom-daughter duo Rani Desai & Priya Teams up to offer primary health care under Anahat Foundation for Bengaluru’s urban poor

Bengaluru-based Anahat Foundation deals with identifying, preventing and counselling the patients suffering from chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and hypertension. Rani Desai, 70, manages the operations and devises public health programmes, while daughter Priya handles communications and funding for the foundation.

‘Prevention is better than cure’ is as simple as that for Rani Desai, 70, and Priya, 40, the mother-daughter duo behind Anahat Foundation that is focused on improving access to primary and preventive healthcare for the urban poor.

The Bengaluru-based foundation that emerged as one of the winners at the recently concluded SVP (Social Ventures Partners) India Fast Pitch 2024, a virtual fundraiser event, is proving to be a major lifeline for the urban poor who lack access to basic healthcare. The foundation which was started seven years ago was offering preventive and primary healthcare to the rural population and later expanded to the urban region, given the growing demand for primary healthcare needs.

Rani and Priya come with a rich experience in public service as consultants and members of various humanitarian projects. Rani worked with Biocon Foundation for 12 years and has also served as an independent public health consultant for seven years before co-founding Anahat with her daughter in 2017.

Meanwhile, Priya, a journalism student who has worked as a copywriter in the advertising industry, worked as a consultant with India Water Portal that dealt with water issues in India and moved on to the role of a marketing and communication manager with Pratham Books, a non-profit children’s book publisher.

At Anahat the mother-daughter duo somewhat replicates similar roles wherein Rani manages the operations and devises public health programmes, and Priya handles communications and funding for the foundation.

“My mother and my family members have been actively involved in public service for a long time. My brother and I grew up doing philanthropic work. When I worked as a copywriter in the advertising industry, I realized it was not the right fit; which is when I shifted gears towards public service along with my mother,” said Priya.

Most of the work by the foundation deals with identifying, preventing and counselling the patients suffering from chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and hypertension, among others.

The services are targeted mainly towards economically disadvantaged families who lack access to public healthcare.

These services are accorded to patients through Anahat Clinic located in the heart of Bengaluru in Shantinagar.

“During our assessment we found out that 70 per cent of the poor people don’t avail themselves of the public health services despite knowing that it is cost-free. This is because of the trust deficit in the public healthcare system and the lack of resources in government hospitals,” said Priya, who also partners with various NGOs to conduct free community health camps in slum areas in Bengaluru.

The clinic that garners over 50-100 footfalls daily on an average, provides a wide of range of primary care services for free including free medical consultation with a full-time registered allopath, free medicines including 100 different medicines stocked based on the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) list of essential drugs for primary care, free diagnostic tests, including WHO recommended panel of 70 tests like blood and urine tests, X-rays, scans and MRIs.

The foundation also partnered with Medtronic Labs to introduce Prerna, a special programme for people living with diabetes, hypertension, and co-morbid diseases. With Prerna, the foundation integrates social and clinical interventions in a group setting with patients at the Anahat Clinic every week, focussing on the social and behavioural determinants of diabetes and hypertension. Patients also receive ongoing medication, lab testing, and doctor visits to address clinical needs.

The Anahat clinic also offers counselling and therapy sessions called ‘Ananda’ for individuals, couples and parents by engaging them in role-play therapy to strengthen social and interpersonal skills and help patients learn techniques to manage and deal with stress.

“The major challenge for us has been to make the patients understand that there is something more than medication. It is challenging to help them understand that diet, change in lifestyle, regular exercises among other changes are as integral as medications. For example, we can’t recommend a diabetic patient from an economically weaker background to have millets. It’s not part of their diet,” said Priya.

According to Priya, raising funds is a major hurdle because Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds are mostly project-based and not long term. “We are looking at long-term health programmes to prevent disorders at an early stage. It has been difficult for us to raise funds on these lines,” she mentioned.

With the recent grant of Rs 10 lakh which they won at the fundraiser event, the foundation will now spend the same in covering people costs, delivery of health care programmes, training for nurses and other medical professionals.

source/content: indianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: India’s AI: Ola’s AI Platform Krutrim, to outdo global players in energy-efficient data centres: Founder Bhavish Aggarwal

He alleged that big technology companies like Amazon, Google and Apple are having closed ecosystems and locking developer’s work on their platform.

Ola’s AI platform Krutrim will compete with global technology majors in building energy-efficient data centres and offer cloud services at the lowest price for the development of artificial intelligence, its founder Bhvish Aggarwal said.

While speaking at an event, Aggarwal announced an AI cloud platform – Krutrim Cloud – to enterprises, researchers, and developers at low cost with a focus on addressing the needs of Indian developers.

“We are building our own technology to do energy management to make the most efficient data centres in the world. I am willing to compete with Microsoft, Google or whoever to say, we will do better than them. The cloud cost we pay is the same as the amount paid by American developers. How is it justified? We will resolve that,” Aggarwal said.

He alleged that big technology companies like Amazon, Google and Apple are having closed ecosystems and locking developer’s work on their platform.

“Krutrim’s overall ambition is to build a full stack AI platform, which allows developers to create applications easier, faster and cheaper,” Aggarwal said.

He also said that no startup makes a profit due to high cloud service costs.

Ola claims that the Krutrim assistant app has been built on its own large language model and trained on over 2 trillion tokens with the largest representation of Indic data.

The company claims that Krutrim currently understands and generates intelligent responses in over 10 Indian languages, which will be expanded to 22 official languages in the near future.

Aggarwal said Krutrim is an Indian platform for developing global applications.

“We are going to make many more models which are useful in the Indian context. We are working on voice models, vision-based models etc,” he added.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

source/content: business-standard.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: DEFENCE / UAV : First indigenous bomber UAV unveiled in Bengaluru

The FWD-200B has a payload capacity of 100 kg and is classified as a MALE Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle.

India’s first indigenous bomber UAV aircraft- FWD-200B developed by Flying Wedge Defence, one of the pioneers in India’s defence and aerospace technology sector, was unveiled on Friday.

Driven by a commitment to reducing India’s reliance on costly bomber unmanned aircraft imports and boosting the Make in India initiative, the company aims to position India as a global drone manufacturing and technology hub while equipping the nation with the right air defence resources and enhancing national security, according to a press release issued from Flying Wedge.

“For over 15 years, India’s pursuit of combat unmanned aircraft remained a distant dream. With the launch of the FWD-200B, India not only fulfils this dream but also joins the league of nations with advanced combat aircraft capabilities,” said Suhas Tejaskanda, Founder of Flying Wedge Defence & Aerospace.

“While the US Predator costs a staggering Rs 250 crores, our indigenous FWD-200B, built with state-of-the-art technology and manufactured in India, slashes the cost to a mere Rs 25 crores. This not only demonstrates our commitment to self-reliance but also positions India as a leader in cost-effective defence solutions”, he added.

The Flying Wedge Defence’s state-of-the-art manufacturing unit where the FWD-200B was meticulously crafted, is over 12000 sq.ft built on 1.5 acre land and is located at Electronic City.

The FWD-200B has a payload capacity of 100 kgs and is classified as a MALE Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (medium-altitude, long-endurance). The Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) consists of optical surveillance payloads and is integrated with missile-like weapons for precision air strikes.

While having a max speed of 200 kts/370 kmph, it has an endurance capacity of 12-20 hours.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA : ARTS & CRAFTS: “TFA Award Winner for Creative Writing in Kannada”, Naveen Tejaswi: ‘Privilege has a lot to do with making art’

Winner of the TFA Award for Creative Writing in Kannada, Naveen Tejaswi, talks about his attempts to be heard in a language he understands.

“If someone asks me ‘Why do you make films?’ I tell them it’s because it has everything I like — music, photography and acting,” says Naveen Tejaswi. Naveen may have won an award for Creative Writing in Kannada from TOTO Funds the Arts, but behind that unassuming mien lies a creative soul who expresses himself through theatre, photography and films.

Hailing from Hosabale in Shivamogga, Naveen is a first generation student from his family and after completing his primary education from his village, came to Bengaluru to pursue a BSc degree from St Joseph’s College.

“I wanted to become a scientist, but after a while I realised that though I was good at it, I did not enjoy it.“

Launchpad

“I was doing theatre in college and had started watching films. I had come to Bangalore in 2014, and would watch English movies everyday with subtitles to learn the language. Soon, I fell in love with the media.”

His stay in the city brought him exposure to world cinema, literature and photography, which only fuelled his creativity as he used to write poems, essays and short stories in Kannada, even as a youngster.

Naveen used to work part-time jobs in college and when he earned enough, he gifted himself a second hand DSLR camera and began taking photographs, eventually gaining a proficiency in it.

Today, Naveen writes and directs films casting people from his village. So far, Naveen has directed four short films and all of them done the festival circuit. Bidugade (Redemption) was a finalist at KIKSFF at California in 2019 and The Sicklehook was the official selection for EFF, Khanty Mansi in Russia for 2018.

More recently, his short film Habba Haridina Suggi Shivaratri was released on YouTube after it was rejected for its politics by a few film festivals.

“Over a 100 people from my village have been part of my films shot with minimal or borrowed equipment. They say it takes a village to raise a child — the same holds true for homegrown cinema. I call these my sustainable films.”

Though his short stories and films are in Kannada, “Last year I started writing in English too,” says Naveen, adding, “Called Track One, it won the Barbra Naidu prize for personal essay writing.” It motivated him to keep writing despite initial setbacks. Today, that story is part of St. Joseph’s Communicative English syllabus.

“When I first started writing, I used the dialect of my village because that’s what I think in. But when it came to validation — from established writers or professors, they couldn’t connect to those language patterns and nuances.”

Naveen turned down an offer to publish his stories in 2018 because the editors wanted to bring in a lot of changes to the language and approach to make it more suitable. That put a spanner in his imaginative works for almost five years. “During that time I battled with confusion on confidence on what is accepted and what is not. There were no other examples or a reference to the context of social, economic or political background of my village in mainstream media, making it harder to be accepted.”

In 2023, I finally decided to couldn’t stifle it any longer, couldn’t wait for the world to say it was okay. So I started writing again. These stories are set in my village which has 300 houses. Of these, perhaps 10 belong to members of the Brahmin community who are the landowners, while the rest of us work for them. We are the first generation to go to school and my stories look at the lives of people in the village.

Writer’s clock

Naveen has been working on a collection of short stories set in his village. “I’m interested in contemporary films and literature. I want to know how different artistes are seeing the world we are living right now.”

His winning entry for the TOTO Award were two stories from that collection.

“I believe the stories we tell or create stem from the place we live our experiences. Though there are famous writers in Kannada, due to their socio-political backgrounds, I couldn’t relate to their work. As a first generation student from an oppressed caste, and even while growing up, I would wonder why the stories of those around me were rarely found in any media.”

He agrees that Art imitates Life, and that, “people in pop culture exist too, but their stories are not real for me. I cannot relate to the things they do. I have come to understand that privilege has a lot to do with making art.”

He goes on to elaborate, “Art takes a lot of time and resources. For someone coming from a privileged background these things come easily.”

TFA wins

Talking about the stories which won the TFA Award, Naveen says, “One story is called ‘Suraghi’— it’s a flower whose fragrance lingers for days even after it dries, but it is not used as a temple offering. The story is about a father and his daughter. The father like his father before him have been workers in a Brahmin family for generations now. The story is from the daughter’s point of view — she wants to become a pilot when she grows up.”

“The other story is ‘Bangara,’ also the name of a flower called gold-petalled dahlia in English. This is a story about a mother and her daughter. The mother is a single parent and like most women in our village, after her day as a daily wage earner, she sits with them to dehusk areca from 9pm-11pm to supplement her income.”

“This lady is 60 years old now, and her daughter is married and living away. The mother wants to spend more time with her grandchild but not able to. The story explores the dynamics of their relationship, the gap caused by liking and disliking certain things about each other.”

Both ‘Suraghi’ and ‘Bangara’ won the TFA Award for Creative Writing in Kannada this year. At his acceptance speech, Naveen said he would be using the award money to start an art centre in his village. “It’s called Bheema Shale and on April 6, 2024, we will officially launch the centre where we will conducts a camp for spoken English and music.

“My friends from Adavi, a Bengaluru-based collective will teach us to play the tamate (a hand drum), while I will take the English class.”

The TOTO Awards were instituted 20 years ago by Toto Funds the Arts, a non-profit trust set up in 2004 in memory of Angirus ‘Toto’ Vellani. The annual Toto Awards are intended to encourage and recognise potential in artists under the age of 30.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: ARTS & CRAFTS / LITERARY : Kannada poet Mamta G. Sagar wins international award

The Bengaluru-based writer was conferred the World Literary Prize from the World Organization of Writers (WOW) on April 6 at a ceremony in Abuja, Nigeria

Mamta G. Sagar, a Bengaluru-based Kannada poet, writer, academic and activist, has recently won the World Literary Prize from the World Organization of Writers (WOW) for her contributions to the world of literature. Dr Sagar, a facilitator at Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design, and Technology, known for her involvement in diverse forms of transdisciplinary creative writing and cultural industries, received the award on April 6 at a ceremony in Abuja, Nigeria.

“I am deeply honoured to receive the award and diploma. This recognition is a testament to the power of literature to inspire and provoke thought irrespective of the language,” said Dr. Sagar on receiving the news of her win. “I am humbled to be acknowledged among such esteemed writers.”

In addition to this award, Dr. Sagar, who has always actively engaged in community-based projects centred around poetry, has also been honoured with the LIFFT award, the gold medal, and a diploma for her outstanding achievements in the field of literature. Some of the themes she has addressed in her work, over the years, include identity politics, feminism, and cultural diversity.

Sagar produced Interversions 1,2, & 3, three films based on her poetry collections, with Srishti Films as part of the Wales-India collaborative projects (2018). She has also written and produced For Gauri, a video presentation of her poem written for the late journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh. She has several works to her credit including Kaada Navilina Hejje, Chukki Chukki Chandakki, Nadiya Neerina Teva, and Illi Salluva Maatu.

Congratulating Dr. Sagar on the occasion, Dr. Arindam Das, Director, SMI said, “Dr. Sagar’s achievement not only reflects her exceptional talent but also underscores our commitment to cultivating a community of erudite and exemplary practitioners who bring their real-world experience into the classroom, enriching the academic journey of our students.”

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: HEALTH & MEDICAL SERVICES : Nimhans hosts special exhibition in Bengaluru

A series of informative content and interactive sessions kept the attendees engaged.

To raise awareness about bipolar disorder and combat the social stigma surrounding mental health, the Department of Psychiatry at National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), in collaboration with other departments organized a special exhibition on World Bipolar Day on Saturday.

A series of informative content and interactive sessions kept the attendees engaged. They could explore more on bipolar disorder, its symptoms, treatment options, and ways to offer support to those affected by the condition.

Alongside the exhibition, the Department of Mental Health Education and the Department of Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neurotoxicology released an infographic video on Bipolar Affective Disorder in both English and Kannada. The initiative aimed to educate the public and provide them with valuable knowledge and resources.

NIMHANS Director Dr Pratima Murthy inaugurated the event and highlighted the significance of World Bipolar Day in combating the stigma surrounding mental health disorders. Dr Murthy said, “It is upon us to inspire and stand by those impacted by this disorder, affirming that they too can lead lives as fulfilling as anyone else.”

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

SOUTH INDIA: AVIATION & TRAVEL HUB: Air India and BIAL sign agreement to make Bengaluru premier aviation hub of south India

Air India said that this partnership will stimulate the MRO ecosystem and is projected to generate over 1,200 new job opportunities for highly skilled individuals in the State.

Air India and the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) have entered into an agreement intended to develop Bengaluru as a premier aviation hub for southern India.

Air India (along with other Tata Group airlines—AIX and Vistara) and BIAL will collaborate to enhance international connectivity, operational efficiency, and passenger experience over the next five years.

This includes strengthening the group’s presence at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) through an enhanced network and establishing a dedicated domestic lounge for premium and frequent travellers of Tata Group airlines Air India and Vistara.

As part of this initiative, Air India has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Government of Karnataka to establish comprehensive Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities at KIA.

Air India said that this partnership will stimulate the MRO ecosystem and is projected to generate over 1,200 new job opportunities for highly skilled individuals in the State.

“Airline-airport synergy is key to elevated customer experience and efficient operations, while Bengaluru is highly attractive as an origin and destination market as well as a connecting hub,” said Campbell Wilson, Managing Director and CEO of Air India. “We are therefore delighted to be strengthening our relationship with BIAL with a view to developing a greater presence at the airport, expanding air connectivity as well as building a major MRO center. This partnership agreement is a significant milestone in the ongoing transformation of Air India,” he added.

Hari Marar, Managing Director and CEO, BIAL, said, “Given that over half of the international outbound travellers from Bengaluru and our catchment head to Europe, North America, Australia, and the Far East, our alliance with Air India represents a substantial leap towards this goal. We aim to capture a significant share of long-haul routes from the Airport over the next five years.”

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: HISTORY: Know Your City: The Bengaluru ‘Jayamahal Palace Hotel’ connected to 03 Royal families and a musical mind of the Wodeyar family

A well-known admirer of music, Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar is said to have pursued his interests at what is now Bengaluru’s Jayamahal Palace hotel.

Connections to the bygone royals are everywhere in Bengaluru for those looking in the right place, from the Gangas to Kempe Gowda. But today, the most common reminders are those of the Wodeyar dynasty, most often seen in the marks of the twin-headed Gandaberunda sigil. But one heritage hotel can draw its lineage back to not one but three of India’s erstwhile royal families—Jayamahal Palace.

The earliest trace of the history of the building, blending colonial and Indian architecture of the time, is from around 1892, by which time it had already been built for the Jagirdar of Arni. This was a small state dating back to around the time of Shivaji, when the founder of the jagir had been granted the territory by Shivaji’s father Shahaji as a reward. By the early 20th century, however, the palace had passed into the hands of the Wodeyar family.

The hotel probably takes its current name from Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar’s successor. His nephew, Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar, was a well-known admirer of music and is said to have pursued his interests at Jayamahal. A composer in his own right, Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar was the president of the Philharmonia Concert Society in London and a patron to composers as far afield as Europe.

One of these musicians was Nikolai Medtner. This association happened towards the close of Medtner’s life, during a period of relative obscurity. The New York Times noted in October 1948, “In characteristic regal fashion, this Hindu ruler has expressed a desire, backed by a special endowment, that the entire stock of Medtner’s works—sixty works in all—be recorded on gramophone disks, so that posterity may avail itself of the composer’s neglected contribution to musical art. For the past twelve years Nicholas Medtner has been living quietly and modestly… One may well imagine the composer’s complete bewilderment when…he was informed of the Maharaja’s friendly wish.”

After a stint of about a half century with the Wodeyars, the building was by 1950 in the hands of the erstwhile royal family of Gondal, a princely state of Rajput origin located in Gujarat. According to Sanjay Sinhji, a member of the family, “The connection with the family is that Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar was married to my grandfather’s sister (Maharani Pratapa Kumari), who hailed from Vana in Gujarat. The hotel later was sold to Vikram Sinhji, the head of the family and erstwhile king of Gondal. Today, it is owned by his grandson.”

source/content: indianexpress.com (headline edited)